Wife and I are planning our first Island Adventure last two weeks in September taking both AI's with us - its more of a travel, stop, sail/yak/bike/hike for a few daze then move on to a new spot - we'll be anywhere from L.I. NY (our home) up to Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire where we have friends on the lake then we were thinking onward to Acadia National Park in Maine ... then back west across New Hampshire and Vermont across Lake Champlaine to her Mom's house on the NY side in Port Kent .. then back south to L.I.

Im open to suggestions any where near our path to have a day or two of good sailing but more interested if anyone has spent time in/around Acadia National Park and what suggestions you have

For Lake Winnipesaukee, I just gave someone else on this forum the following information:

I've sailed Winnepesaukee. I put my boat in at Ellacoya State Park in Gilford. (Go in the RV entrance.) Sucks as a launch for big motor boats but perfect for a Hobie. Sandy beach, plenty of vertical room, plenty of parking, and all for only $10. Puts you right out into the Broads and nothing to worry about in getting there.

I've never launched from Meredith, but it's fairly sheltered in northerly breezes. It's on a bay, so you have to do some tacking to get into the lake.

Winnepesaukee can be a choppy mess. The motor boaters tend to be nervous of heading off shore and want to cut between you and the shore, even if room is tight. The MV Washington is the only big boat on the lake and goes so sedately it's easy to deal with. The Marine Patrol uses VHF radio, if you half one.

Laconia has an airport and is your best source for weather. Add about 5 - 10 miles onto its wind force. Fay's Boat Yard in Gilford is a Hobie dealership. Talk to Dave in the store and you'll find out anything you want to know about the lake.

For Arcadia:

I sailed a Sunfish on Jordan Pond many, many years ago. All I remember is that it was fun. Nice breeze, nobody else on the lake, just nice. Jordan Pond is 187 acres, 1.2 miles long and 2,000 feet across.

Ocean sailing is another story. I've never done a small boat there. First thing to know is the water is cold. Recent temperature was 55 degrees. Probably about what it will be in the end of September, but maybe colder. And there are some spots around there that will be colder then that. Even for Maine, Arcadia is cold. Swimming in Maine is an experience at how much shrinkage a guy can get.

Tidal range is something like 12 feet. Which means some nasty currents and big surprises.

Maine is famous for its rocky coastline. And Arcadia has more rocks then just about any place in Maine. Rocks on the shore, rocks in the water, just rocks. Finding a safe place to go ashore in an emergency doesn't happen. Coast guard is a long way away. You get into trouble and the options are very slim.

Fog and storms also make life fun. Bottom line is ocean sailing in the Bar Harbor area is serious sailing.

Lake Winn. will not be a problem as my friend owns lakefront property and we'll just do day sails from there. I imagine it is similar to Lake Champlain as to boat traffic (it is similar in size) which we are acustomed to sailing/kayaking on.

I am glad you mentioned the hazzards at Acadia though - perhaps we will not put out into the ocean then . My wife, while brave, is not that experienced to tackle such conditions (perhaps me either but I'm crazy enough to possibly try ..)

Is Acadia worthy of a several day trip ? Or should we spend our efforts elsewhere ..?

I would suggest you put Stonington on your list of stops. There is an excellent campground: Old Quarry Ocean Adventures. They are more of oriented towards kayaks/canoes, but they have a nice launching area, and if memory serves me right, there is a large ramp operated by the city or county. My wife and I sea kayaked extensively in the area some years ago--in prep for some serious sea kayak trips in Alaska. Acadia NP is somewhat exposed to the Atlantic Ocean and you can fairly easily get into serious conditions. The Stonington area is absolutely beautiful. Of course, the whole coastline is very rocky, but Stonington has lots of small offshore islands, which afford considerable protection. There are beautiful, small pocket beaches. You should consider joining the Maine Island Trail Association (http://www.mita.org/). For a relatively small fee, you will get a trail guide for boating all along the coast, including maps. When we were there, you could gather mussels and have a feast right on the beach. Of course, if you see a clammer working on shore, you might pick up a bucket of very fresh clams at a very reasonable price--all great fun.

You can't go wrong with a stop in the Stonington-Deer Isle area. It is beautiful. Be aware that powerboats have the right of way with respect to kayaks and, probably, sail boats. I believe the logic is that the many lobster boats that ply the waters have very high prows and often cannot see small boats directly in front of them. Giving them the right of way, keeps small boats out of harms way.

Keith

_________________2015 AI 2, 2014 Tandem

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex ... It takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." A. Einstein

Last edited by Chekika on Thu Aug 08, 2013 8:43 am, edited 1 time in total.

Lake Winn. will not be a problem as my friend owns lakefront property and we'll just do day sails from there. I imagine it is similar to Lake Champlain as to boat traffic (it is similar in size) which we are acustomed to sailing/kayaking on. Champlain is nearly 500 square miles, Winni is about 70. Winni is nearer Boston and attracts a lot more vacationers. You get off the Weirs in WInni and you'll see a traffic jam a lot of weekends. Winni has a sort of a weird personality. Winni usually reminds me of Boston Harbor on a holiday weekend.

I am glad you mentioned the hazzards at Acadia though - perhaps we will not put out into the ocean then . My wife, while brave, is not that experienced to tackle such conditions (perhaps me either but I'm crazy enough to possibly try ..) I don't sail Adventures, so I don't know their sea-worthiness. I do know some people kayak there, but I don't know experience level.

However, go a bit south of there, and you've got Penobscot Bay. Penobscot Bay is beautiful, sheltered, and a lot more relaxing sail. Still cold water, but good cold-weather gear and you should be all set. Some nice beaches, You'll have a lot easier time matching ability to area and current conditions. Plenty of islands to visit, and lots of bird life. Acadia is to the east and sticks out.

Is Acadia worthy of a several day trip ? Or should we spend our efforts elsewhere ..? If you've never been, it's beautiful. I've never felt like I've had enough time when I'm in the area. But expand your horizons a bit and include Penobscot Bay and you'll have an incredible range of activities to do. You won't have enough time to do everything you want.

I was looking out over Camden, ME today and thinking how great the waters there are, and all the possibilities the dozens of offshore islands present.

But it was a perfect day, and this is the preferred playground for big displacement monohulls, not our little plastic boats, especially when the weather turns. But it can be treacherous on good days too. "Wicked fast" tides, as they say here.

Someone just wrecked a 60' multimillion dollar sailing yacht here this week, running it into the rocks during an easy harbor landing. The mast snapped from the impact.

But there's tons of lakes worth exploring, many very close to the coast, so sight seeing, hiking and day sailing are all viable choices.

You and the bride can always take one of the many big-rigged sailboat tours offshore, and enjoy the cold waters the way they are meant to be experienced.

Winnepesaukee is a hoot. I would love to do that one with you. Do a launch from or sail into Wolfeboro if you can. Charming town. And someone you know was born there.

I actually think kayaking the Maine Coast is very nice. I haven't done it a Mirage Drive, however. The tides are definitely a challenge. When I kayaked along the Camden coast two summers ago, the winds were not an issue. There are plenty of outfitters who do tours so maybe get some advice from those locals.

I just got back from there. There are some serious tides and also some serious coastal kayaking to be enjoyed. Folks "round heah" tend to be whitewater enthusiast too. Maine rivers have some of the best rapids found anywhere.

On this trip, I managed a nice long paddle upriver and back during a slack tide.

Timing and local knowledge are important here. So much coastline to explore. Big tides and weather that turns quickly. Best to do it with a local.

Here's a cool site to explore the Maine coast, with nautical and tide charts.

From there on Wed Sept 25 its 3 hours further north to Mooshead Lake ME area where we're back in side in a private cabin (and Bed and Fireplace !!) by the lake for 2 nites

From there on Fri sept 27 .. it'll be a 5.5 hr ride southwest to Lake Winnipesaukee NH where we'll spend 2 nites at a friends Lakehouse Retreat

and Sunday .. Sept 29th its back home to Long Island from there

1,230 miles total .. and Im sure it'll be much more than that once completed.

... Fluids and general tune-up on truck - Check ! done this weekend

... new tires - next on list

Also looking to score some dry suits between now and departure but have breathable waders and gore-tex rain/hiking jackets on stand-by

... So, thats the plan but we're pretty fluid and will just go with the flow. The main idea is to get out of the rat race and enjoy the fall weather after a sweaty summer and before the snow flies. I just hope it is warm enough for us to spend some quality time on the waters

Anyone is welcome to join us in any of the area's we are staying at .. we don't bite (too hard anyways ..) but we do like have fun and live up to our last name - Wander(ers)

.. no promises though on posting during the trip - My non-Hobie life has me in charge of the Computer Dept. where I work (around 40 servers, 7 staff, and 200+ Co. employees with thier desktops/laptops/mobil toys) so I try to "Un-Plug" myself from technology as much as possible during my vacations

I totally get it. That's why I like the SmartPhones with good cameras so you can just take the photo and upload to Facebook. It's too bad the PhPBB forums can't yet make that happen.

PassWind wrote:

Terry wrote:

Looks like a blast. Post photos from the trip, not just afterwards!

Thanks Terry - we always find a way to have fun on our adventures

.. no promises though on posting during the trip - My non-Hobie life has me in charge of the Computer Dept. where I work (around 40 servers, 7 staff, and 200+ Co. employees with thier desktops/laptops/mobil toys) so I try to "Un-Plug" myself from technology as much as possible during my vacations

Hi Alan----Just saw this thread. I live outside of Belfast---- looks like you'll be passing through there. We have an AI and have been enjoying the coast for a few years now. We could meet up somewhere and sail or I could just show your some nice places to go. You guys are welcome to stay in our spare bedroom if you like or camp in our yard. (We even have an outhouse and a outside shower if you really are adventuresome.) Email me dougraymond@fairpoint.net if interested.

I just missed you Doug. Knew you were somewhere up there. Was in the Thomaston area for the last couple weeks.

How are the Hakas working out?

Passwind's in good hands now, so I'll just add; make a lunch stop at the Camden deli (outside deck) and a pit stop at the Cellardoor Winery tasting room (the vineyard location). The views and tastes don't get much better, no matter how far you drive.